Victorian Hair Augmentation

Victorian Hair Augmentation

.

Given Victorian-era women (no matter where they lived in the world) seldom trimmed their hair, much less cut it, their hair usually grew to astonishing lengths.

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. "Edwardian Rapunzel" from Flicker and Pinterest.

“Edwardian Rapunzel” from Flicker and Pinterest.

.

From personal experience (I’ve worn my natural hair past my hips) and discussion with modern hairdressers, it’s apparent not everyone’s able to grow hair past a certain length. And the comparable body part is seldom the ankles, or even the waist.

.

What would YOU have done, had you lived during a time where one sign of a woman’s femininity was the length and quality of her hair? Particularly if you’d been born with thin, fine hair that couldn’t reach your shoulders without hair extensions?

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Stylized quote: "And isn't long hair a woman's pride and joy? For it has been given to her as a covering." 1 Corintians 11:15, New Living Translation. What if your hair won't grow?

.

.

.

The Montgomery, Ward & Co. Catalogue of 1895 and Sears Catalog of 1897 provide an historic view of Victorian hair solutions

.

“Challamel wrote in 1871 ‘False hair was worn more generally than ever’. Interesting statistics of the era show that 51,816kgs of false hair were sold in France in 1871 and 102,900kgs in 1873. Yet by 1876 false hair was denounced as passé by The Englishwoman’s Domestic Magazine.”

.

~Pauline Weston Thomas for Fashion-Era.com

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Illustration: Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg French Ringlet Front showing foundations, and French Ringlet front mounted on block.

Esther M. Zimmer Lederberg, French Ringlet Front

.

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. "Hair Goods" section header of the Montgomery, Ward & Co. Catalog no. 57, Spring and Summer of 1897. Instructions of how to order Hair Goods, including sending in a snip of hair for the best match of hair pieces.

Instructions of how to order Hair Goods, including sending in a snip of hair for the best match of hair pieces. Montgomery, Ward & Co. Catalog no. 57, Spring and Summer of 1895.

.

All those hair pieces had to come from somewhere.

.

Kristin Holt | Sources of Victorian-era False Hair

.

In my recent post, L-O-N-G Victorian Hair, I illustrated the 1890‘s style of cut bangs that were curled about the forehead.

.

Kristin Holt | L-O-N-G Victorian Hair. Image: Examples of cut and curled bangs in the 1890s style.

.

For those who didn’t want to cut off hair that had taken a lifetime to grow, simply to bow to the whims of modern style, hair pieces were readily available, at least by the late 1890‘s (when cut bangs where ‘in’). Such pieces would also cover thinning hair (a woman’s nightmare in any era of time) and add volume to any head of hair.

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. "Puff Bang. Parted. the latest style, designed for the best trade. Made on ventilated foundation, with hair lace part. See cut. Each $3.50. From Montgomery, Ward & Co. catalog no. 57., 1895.

Puff Bang hair piece offered for sale in the Montgomery, Ward & Co. catalog no. 57. Spring and Summer of 1895.

.

“$3.50 of 1895 dollars would be worth: $117.86 in 2021.”  ~ Inflation Calculator

.

 

.

.

“$1.25 of 1895 dollars would be worth: $42.09 in 2021.” ~ Inflation Calculator

.

$2.50 of 1895 dollars would be worth: $84.90 in 2021.” ~ Inflation Calculator

.

.

.

“$0.50 of 1895 dollars would be worth: $16.84 in 2021.”  ~ Inflation Calculator

.

.

Kristin Holt | Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. "Emma Wave, invisible hair lace foundation, naturally curly hair, 3 inch part, 12 inch from side to side. Each, until sold, $3.00. Kid Hair Curlers, neat and nice for curling the hair; 12 in package." Ranging in length from 3.5 inches through 4.5 inches, and $0.06 to $0.10 per pachage. For sale in the Montgomery Ward no. 57 spring and summer 1895 catalogue.

Emma Wave hair piece (bangs), offered at $3.00 from Montgomery Ward Catalogue, no. 57 spring and summer, 1895.

.

“$3 of 1895 dollars would be worth: $101.03 in 2021.”

“$0.06 of 1895 dollars would be worth: $2.02 in 2021.”

“$0.08 of 1895 dollars would be worth: $2.69 in 2021.”

“$0.10 of 1895 dollars would be worth: $3.37 in 2021.”

~ Inflation Calculator

.

>

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Human Hair Goods, part 1, in the Sears Catalog No 104 of 1897, p 342. Introduction of various offerings, and how to order. Includes "Our $3.00 Puff Bang. Parted in the latest style, made for fine trade, on ventilated foundation, with hair lace part."

Human Hair Goods, part 1, in the Sears Catalog No 104 of 1897, p 342.

.

“$3 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $101.03 in 2021.”  ~ Inflation Calculator

.

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Human Hair Goods, part 1, in the Sears Catalog No 104 of 1897, p 342. Parisian Bang, Alice Wave, and Ladies' Wigs for sale in Sears Catalogue.

Human Hair Goods, Part 2 of Sears Catalog no. 104 of 1897, p 342.

.

.

$1.25 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $42.09 in 2021.”

“$3 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $101.03 in 2021.”

“$4 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $134.70 in 2021.”

“$5 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $163.38 in 2021.”

“$6 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $202.05 in 2021.”

“$8 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $269.40 in 2021.”

“$10 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $336.76 in 2021.”

“$12 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $404.11 in 2021.”

“$15 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $505.13 in 2021.”

“$18 of 1897 dollars would be worth: $606.16 in 2021.”

~ Inflation Calculator

.

Given my hair is silver, a 24″ wig (perhaps to replace my own lost when the doctor told my husband my head must be shaved to save me from a very high fever), would cost me (per the advertisement) a 50% surcharge because of the color. In today’s money, such a wig would cost more than $1,000.

.

Perhaps, therefore, it’s not reasonable to say all women had access through a catalog to hair pieces. It might be more reasonable to say the well-to-do could afford hair pieces and augmentation if they so chose.

.

.

For ladies (or ladies’ maids) who wished to create something (such as a braid to wrap about their up-do) or even to add fullness to their coiffure, swatches of hair was sold.

 

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Human Hair Switches in all ordinary and medium shades (extra shades will cost from 25 to 50 per cent textra). For sale in the Montgomery Ward no. 57 spring and summer 1895 catalogue.

Human Hair Switches for sale in a variety of hues in the Montgomery Ward no. 57 spring and summer 1895 catalogue.

.


.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. "Extraordinary Values in Human Hair Switches" in all ordinary and medium shades (extra shades will cost from 25 to 50 per cent textra). For sale in the Sears Catalog 1897 No 104, p. 342.

Switches of human hair, in a variety of shades, for sale from the Sears Catalog 1897 No 104, p. 342.

.


.

WOMEN WORE FULL WIGS

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Hair Nets and Ladies' Wigs for sale within the Montgomery Ward no. 57 spring and summer 1895 catalogue.

Hair Nets and Ladies’ Wigs in the Montgomery Ward no. 57 spring and summer 1895 catalogue.

.

.

MEN WORE WIGS TOO…and fake beards

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Men's Wigs offered for sale by Montgomery Ward no. 57 spring and summer 1895 Catalogue. Includes instructions (and illustration) for measuring the head. List of toupees, wigs, and various other offerings.

Men’s Wigs (and toupees) offered for sale by Montgomery Ward no. 57 spring and summer 1895 catalogue.

.

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Men's Wigs offered for sale by Sears Catalog 1897, No 104, p 342. Includes instructions (and illustration) for measuring the head. List of toupees, wigs, and various other offerings.

How to Measure for a Wig. Illustrations and printed instructions from the Sears Catalog 1897 No 104, p 342.

.

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Full Bears on wire, or ventilated, mustache on wife spring, common, plus other facial hair. Offered for sale by Montgomery Ward no. 57 spring and summer 1895 Catalogue.

Full beards, mustaches, goatees, whiskers, etc. Offered for sale by the Montgomery Ward no. 57 spring and summer 1895 catalogue.

.

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. Full Beards, Mustaches, Imperials, Goatees, Whiskers, all for sale by Sears Catalog 1897, No 104, p 342.

Many of the same offerings in the Sears Catalog 1897 No 104 p 342. Full Beards, Mustache, Imperials, Goatees, and Whiskers. “The above come in dark and medium shades only.”

.

 

I have a hard time believing these bears and mustaches looked natural.

.

ARTIFICIAL AUGMENTATION reason for breach of promise when men fooled by mail-order brides

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Augmentation. This warning appeared as an insert in sereral editions of the Matrimonial News in the 1870's. While this image is readily available (without citations) on the internet and various websites, I believe this image (and the caption) comes from at least one mail-order bride nonfiction title by Chris Enss.

This warning appeared as an insert in several editions of the Matrimonial News in the 1870’s. While this image is readily available (without citations) on the internet and various websites, I believe this image (and the caption) comes from at least one mail-order bride nonfiction title by Chris Enss.

.

Apparently false hair had been used as early as 1873 (and likely before). But note the list of everything else this Judge John H. Arbuckle found as grounds for divorce from a mail-order bride: cosmetic paints, artificial bosoms, bolstered hips and padded limbs. Guess what? Most of these were available for purchase from Sears Catalog and Montgomery, Ward & Co. Catalog by 1895. Then a woman didn’t need to make her own such appliances.

.

MAKE HER OWN HAIR?

.

Yeah. Especially hair pieces. After all, when hair you’ve spent your whole life growing comes out in the bristles of a hairbrush or tines of a comb, why not hold onto it? Women made “rats” of their own hair, literally balls of the fallen hairs to then fill out the hairstyle pinned upon their heads (result: a fuller bun or French twist). The color was right (until they aged or unbleached), a lady knows where it came from, and it cost nothing whereas wigs and hair pieces cost plenty.

.

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Receiver

.

IF ANYTHING SHOULD’VE BEEN ILLEGAL…

.

…perhaps it should’ve been the unfounded claims of potions, elixirs (external or internal use), and washes.

.

.

I might be persuaded to believe a potion could add moisture, smooth, and perhaps redeem damaged hair (to a degree)…but return gray hair to the color of youth? Really? Who believed this stuff?

.

Related Articles

.

Kristin Holt | Sources of Victorian-era False Hair

Kristin Holt | Victorian-Era Hair Care

Kristin Holt | Victorian Americans Cure Baldness and fight gray hair

Kristin Holt | Keep Your Victorian Moustache Nice

Kristin Holt | Blondes are Favorites; They are Declared by a Phrenologist to Make the Best of Wives.

Blondes are Favorites; They are Declared by a Phrenologist to Make the Best of Wives.

Kristin Holt | L-O-N-G Victorian Hair

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Receiver

Kristin Holt | Styling Ladies' Hair, American 19th Century

Kristin Holt | Victorian Hair Indicative of Character

Kristin Holt | Victorian Curling Irons

In reference to the WARNING by Judge John H. Arbuckle, commercially prepared other augmentation devices (without Victoria’s Secret) what was a Lady Victorian to do?

Kristin Holt | Lady Victorian's Secret

Kristin Holt | Victorian Ladies' Hairdressers

Kristin Holt | Late Victorian-era Beauty Secrets

Kristin Holt | When are Women Most Lovely?

Kristin Holt | False Beauty Spots

Kristin Holt | Old West Bath Tubs

Kristin Holt | Old West Barber Shop

Kristin Holt | Mail-Order Catalogs and the Old West

Kristin Holt | Victorian Era Feminine Hygiene

Kristin Holt | When are Women Most Lovely?

Kristin Holt | Nineteenth Century Mail-Order Bride Scams, Part 1 of 12

Part 1 of a 12-part series. Links within make it easy to access all articles.

Kristin Holt | BOOK REVIEW: Hearts West: True Stories of Mail-Order Brides on the Frontier by Chris Enss.

Kristin Holt | Book Review: Object: Matrimony, The Risky Business of Mail-Order Matchmaking on the Western Frontier by Chriss Enss

Kristin Holt | Ladies Fashions: Huge Sleeves of the 1890s

Kristin Holt | Pencil Skirts, Victorian Style

.

Updated June 2022
Copyright © 2016 Kristin Holt LC
Victorian Hair Augmentation Victorian Hair AugmentationSave

Save